Darkness in the heart
by Absol Master
Summary: They thought that they defeated him, centuries ago. But his spirit has not died, and his reincarnation is about to rise. Now only four, one from each region of the island, bear all the hope for a world about to die.
1. Prologue: History of Victoria Island

Does MapleStory need a disclaimer like Pokemon does?

Alright, I don't own MapleStory.

Author's note: There's some self-invented equipment in the later chapters. If I say something like "a purple dress", for example, I'm not referring to any particular equipment in MapleStory (since I hardly know a thing about Maple equip). Just imagine the character to be wearing what I describe.

* * *

1250 years ago… 

Victoria Island was known as Shadow Island. Ruled by a tyrant, the Dark Emperor, the island was overrun with monsters, and people worked as slaves.

"Bring the prisoners in,"The Dark Emperor commanded to the Dark Lord, his most trusted subject, placed in charge of the punishment of prisoners.

Obediently, the Dark Lord dragged the door open and led six waiting people into the entrance hall.

"What are their crimes?"he inquired. The Dark Lord shoved the first person to the front.

"This one, for using magic,"he growled.

The trembling man looked up into the Emperor's cruel face."I…I was only…getting a…a shroom off…my lawn,"he stammered.

"Shroom or not, don't _ever_ use magic in my country!"the Emperor roared. Take him away!" Two guards came forth and dragged him out.

"Next?"He went on, seething.

"This one for stealing an apple,"the Dark Lord replied.

The Dark Lord hated his job. He hated seeing so many being sent away for such minor actions. If only he could put an end to all this…

Suddenly, a plan began to form in his mind. _What if…he could assassinate the Dark Emperor?_ But he would not be able to do it, not on his own…

While that took place, Athena Pierce the arrow maker sat on her mattress in her small home in the Southern Region.

_Another fifty thousand arrows? _She thought angrily. Her arms ached from sawing, sandpapering and polishing wood.

Standing up and walking to the working shed, an image crossed her mind, one of the Dark Emperor dead on the floor, pierced through the heart by the very arrows he had commanded her to make. Could it be some kind of message that she was to…kill the Dark Emperor? Yes, she was the best archer in the village. Eyes fiery with determination, she began to work on the arrows.

Far off at the Lesser Forest of Shadow Island, a middle-aged man named Grendel stood in his tree dungeon. Three Green Mushrooms stood before him. Concentrating all his mental power on the gem at the tip of his staff, he waved it in a circle. Then three electric bolts came down from the ceiling and killed them. Grendel lowered his staff. He had perfected his best spell, and now, he felt ready, ready to destroy the hateful Dark Emperor. He had been practicing all his life, perfecting spell after spell. Till now.

Up in the mountainous Northern Region of the island, Dances with Balrog bit into his juicy Wild Boar. The people were forbidden to kill animals for meat, and could only eat food from the lords of each region of the island. But now, he was breaking that rule outright, and felt good about it. Down here in his cellar, no one would have any idea what he was doing.

Suddenly, his cellar door fell away, and three armed men ran in, chained him up and dragged him up into the open.

"We could smell the cooking food, stupid,"One said, jeering. They loaded him onto a cart and began on their way to Sleepy Castle.

At around the same time, Athena's room was barged into by two men bearing the Emperor's brand.

"What?"She asked angrily, picking up her bow and a quiver of arrows. Without speaking, they chained her arms and legs, and threw her into a large horse-drawn cart.

"Low arrow production,"One announced clearly from a scroll."Sentenced to death."

And at that moment at Grendel's tree dungeon, three men hacked into the tree, to see Grendel performing a lightning spell.

"There, incriminating evidence," one announced. They chained him up and threw him onto a horse.

The Dark Lord stood, awaiting the next set of prisoners. Staring hatefully at the Emperor, he felt the stolen throwing stars in his pocket. If only he could do it now…

There was a loud rap on the door.

"Let the prisoners in," the Emperor commanded. He swung the door open, and saw three struggling people.

The Dark Emperor smiled triumphantly. "Finally, all here," he sneered. "All three to be killed."

"So finally I get to see you!" A middle-aged man spat. "I've longed to _kill _you!"

"I knew that," he said smiling. "There was something going on in the Lesser Forest. A plot, definitely."

"Well, if only you could see how we're living!" the woman with a bow yelled. "You're unfit to rule!"

Suddenly, the Dark Lord saw his chance. Without a moment's hesitation, he rushed forward, to the Emperor's horror, and unlocked all the chains.

"I didn't ask you to free them," The Emperor said softly. "Quite on the contrary, can't you see?"

The old man wasted no time and whipped out his wand, waving it in a circle. Bolts of lightning struck the Emperor. Suddenly fearless, the woman and the topless man drew out their weapons as well, and began to attack. The Dark Lord also took out his throwing stars and began throwing them with full force at the Emperor.

"Why…" he moaned. "I trusted you…I'll return…"

Then, in the shower of attacks, the Dark Emperor fell silent. His body collapsed to the ground, and his corpse was such a grotesque sight that it put all four off killing for the rest of their lives.

But, for now, they had won a great victory.

An ominous rumbling filled the air. All four ran outside. And before their eyes, the castle crumbled away into rubble. Only a huge statue of a face remained.

"Don't you think we should rename Shadow Island?" the middle-aged man mumbled. "Let's call it Victoria Island, after our victory."

So the island was renamed, and so were the four regions—Ellinia for the Lesser Forest, Henesys for the Southern Region, Kerning for the Western Region and Perion for the Northern Region.

But little did they know that the Dark Emperor's blood had soaked into the rock which used to be the castle floor, and that it, though liquid, was _alive_…

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So, how was that? The start to my first Maple ficcy. Go read my Pokemon ones if you want. And please, I NEED your reviews... 


	2. Grendel's Vision

Well, here's an update for those people who actually _bother_ to read my fan fiction. Trust me, it's more interesting than the prologue.

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Now.

Kerning City has become a bustling place, with the most advanced technology of Victoria Island. The Dark Lord resides deep in the city, where he awaits beginners with the skills to become Rogues, and gives them their first job advancement.

Perion is still the mountainous, simple civilisation it once was, but now with occasional visitors who go to Dances with Balrog to be made into Swordmen.

Henesys has become a lively marketplace town, where trades go on frequently. There, Athena Pierce still lives beside the Mushroom Clock, turning those with the sharpest eyesight into Archers.

And Ellinia, still densely forested and riddled with entrances to Tree Dungeons, is the home of the wise, old mage, Grendel, who makes the wisest and strongest in mind into Magicians.

Grendel was meditating peacefully, when a sudden darkness covered his vision. Then an image appeared of the Dark Emperor's soul, black as night, rising from the rock of the ground.

Grendel shook his head. _He's dead,_ he thought. But the image would not leave. Finally, Grendel considered the chance that this really was going to happen, that the Dark Emperor was going to rise again, and bring darkness back to the very island which the four job masters had fought to save.

"Please, …How do I stop this?" he gasped. "I have sworn to the Goddess that I will not kill again!"

Then, a piece of parchment appeared in his mind's eye, on it written four names. "ZapdosEnergy". "DarkBlazeEX". "AovvoA". "EagleEyeShot".

And he knew these were the four, the only four, who could save Victoria Island.


	3. The Mage

In the noisy, bustling streets of Kerning City, ZapdosEnergy sat at the large sewers, sitting far from the dirty water which poured out.

She wore a long, vivid purple dress, and her bright purple eyes were matched by sparkling purple earrings. Her hair was long and black, and a silver tiara adorned her head. She was level 70, and had just gotten her third job advancement the day before.

Other than performing magic, she had a talent for singing. Now, she was trying to recall the lyrics and tune of a song she had dreamt up the night before.

The thing that made her love singing was her little brother, MoltresFlame. Pausing from her singing for a while, she closed her eyes and remembered the time when he had been alive, and she smiled.

MoltresFlame had been the best brother imaginable, a determined Swordman with a love for adventure. They had done so much together, especially watching seagulls at Lith Harbour, his favourite pastime. ZapdosEnergy could tell that seagulls were his favourite animals.

But all that had been taken away years ago.

ZapdosEnergy had dared MoltresFlame to go to Sleepywood with her, when they were at levels 16 and 12. And he had accepted the dare. So they had gone down through the thick forest, till they had gotten lost. And at the bottom of a huge statue of a face, they had met a group of Dark Axe Stumps.

The two fought fiercely, of course. But the Dark Axe Stumps were too strong, and MoltresFlame had already taken a lot of damage. Knowing he was going to die, he had said, "Sis, I love your voice. Keep singing…" Then a Dark Axe Stump had trampled over his body, and he had died there and then.

ZapdosEnergy's soul cried out in distress whenever she recalled that scene. The sound of his painful shrieks, the deep fear in his eyes. Gone were the days when they could go exploring new places, or just talk to each other while watching the seagulls from the cliffs of the harbour…

Tears sprang to ZapdosEnergy's eyes. Shaking her head, she began to sing. "Even…when the…darkness falls…and you hear…" she started, racking her brains for the melody. But she didn't get past that word.

A sudden blinding flash hit her like a lightning bolt, and she heard a powerful voice shout, "Go to Sleepywood. Now!"

Jumping up, the Mage glanced around. Who had sent that message? It had sounded urgent. Maybe she had to follow the message?

But back to the source of all her nightmares? She recoiled at that thought.

_It had been urgent_, she told herself firmly. Not wasting any time, ZapdosEnergy got up and made her way up to the centre sewer pipe. Ignoring the rank smell of rotting material, she made her way through the slimy, knee-deep water. This _was_ the shortest route from Kerning City to Sleepywood, after all.


End file.
